Checkmate
by TennantsLittleKitten
Summary: "Checkmate." she grins every time she pins me to end our session for the day. But today will be different. I know it. I'm better now.


_Inspired by screenshots from the Agent Carter S2 promos._

 _I also decided to switch things up and write it in Jarv's POV. Seemed like the only way to tackle this one._

 _And if I messed up any wrestling terms etc, lemme know. I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to that._

* * *

From the beginning when Ms. Carter agreed to teach me to fight, she had always had the upper hand. I mean, she is the best agent in the country and quite arguably, the world. I, however, had very limited training. The military teach you only what you need to know. I learned to fly and to shoot a gun. Hand-to-hand combat wasn't something deemed absolutely necessary. Now though, I want to learn. I need to know how to defend myself; to defend _her_ if something was to go wrong in the field. No more waiting on the sidelines.

Despite my lack of experience, training was going well. Gradually I had learned the moves. Ms. Carter tells me that wrestling is like chess. You need to anticipate your opponent's next move and act on it before they do. I've tried, but she's always that much better. "Checkmate." she grins every time she pins me to end our session for the day.

But today will be different. I know it. I'm better now.

Ms. Carter meets me under the curtained awning by the pool. It's an ideal location to practice. The California breeze can blow through, yet we're protected from the sun.

She appears in the doorway clad in her red and green jumpsuit as she sets down her bag and towel. "Ready?" she cocks an eyebrow in my direction.  
"When you are." I reply, assuming my stance. I'm wearing what Howard assures is a proper wrestling uniform. It's certainly _not_ comfortable. Spandex and exposed skin. If you know me, you'd know that those two things make me cringe every time I wear it. But a man's got to do what a man's got to do.

This time I make the first move; charging in her direction, hoping to catch her off guard. Ms. Carter, however, is far too quick. She jumps out of the way, grabs hold of my arm and twists it behind my back. _Damn_. It's not enough to hurt me, but it stretches me in ways that I will feel come morning.  
I have to do better than that to fool her.

We spar for a few minutes. One starts to move but the other mirrors the action. We circle each other like two lions in a fight. Waiting, waiting for the other's guard to go down. When I first started out, I would have been flipped and pinned almost immediately. Now, however, neither of us were showing any sign of weakness.

Then, Ms. Carter lets out a battle cry, throwing her weight at me and trying to incapacitate my arms. I take the brunt of her lunge, causing the breath to escape my lungs, but I also manage to avoid her reach. I use my height over her to strap her arms to her body and attempt to knock her off balance. She maintains her footing and instead twists out of my grip. I expect her right foot to hook behind my knee and I bend it before she can cause me to fall. Both of us end up back to where we were, but with much heavier breathing.

"Very good." she declares.  
I let off a small smile, feeling quite accomplished, but that's just another tactic I know she likes to use. Inflating her male opponent's ego to throw him off and allowing her to take him out. I've seen her do that a million times. However, her mind games will not work here.  
We square off again, reading each other's minds and working out the other's next move. Our eyes are fixed intently upon one another, scanning for any small physical indication. My normally slicked hair has fallen across my forehead. Her ponytail has loosened, causing a few stray chestnut locks to lick the sides of her face. The California humidity has us sweating, beads of moisture lining our brows.  
We're tired but I can't give up. I must show her that I can do this.

Then I make a decision. I must act now. I suspect that she thinks I will aim for her right side, taking out her stronger arm first. However, she has a weaker left grip and if I can manage to get to her waist, I can use the advantage of my height and weight to pin her down. So I make my move. I play it as though I wish to attack her right. She commits and I switch left. I block her punch and manage to hurl my mass towards her middle. We begin to fall together and I somehow find her left wrist. We thud against the mat and I try not to crush her by supporting myself with my legs. Then I realise that I have her. She begins to struggle, but I spread my limbs over hers to subdue her thrashing and nab her right wrist in the process.

For a moment I can't believe it. She would hardly have let me win, so this is actually my very own accomplishment. Pride washes over me, but it ceases as I become fully aware of who I am looking down upon. Something else I can't quite explain takes over me then. Below me is Ms. Carter. We're both panting, chests heaving against one another. She has given up her struggle and all that's left are our eyes in a deadlocked stare. That's when I truly notice her. She doesn't have any makeup on, yet there's something naturally beautiful about how she appears. Her brown eyes twinkle up at me and I remember that I'm still gripping her wrists. I can feel her pulse thundering within them. I release my hold slightly, thumbs brushing across her soft skin. Our breaths mingle, noses mere inches apart. Something electric runs through the small gap between us. Something that keeps me there. Something that tells me I'm _alive_.

Then reality strikes. "Edwin!" I hear a feminine voice call as the sound of sandals against tile draw near.  
I'm shaken from the trance. Instinct causes me to quickly release Ms. Carter and scramble to gather distance between us. But as I do so, another part of me mourns the loss of contact. The moment had been mere seconds, yet somehow it felt like an eternity staring into her eyes.

Ms. Carter jolts up too, giving me an indication and minor relief that I was not alone in the experience we just shared.

Ana is at the doorway now. I don't know what she saw, but from her tone she did not fully witness what had happened. "Did you finally get her, Ed?" she questions hopefully.

I open my mouth to speak but there are no words. I turn my head to Ms. Carter. "He did, Ana." she answers for me. "He did really well this time. I'm proud of him."  
Her words are like silk. They fill my ears and comfort my soul. Knowing I had finally met her approval in something she is clearly superior at meant the world to me. I smile and then turn back to Ana. Seeing her face filled with excitement for me causes my stomach to knot. _Guilt_. My smile fades.  
"Anyway, darling, Howard's back and during dinner he wants to discuss getting me a movie role! Finally!" chirps Ana.  
"That's wonderful, Ana." I reply. "I'll get cleaned up and start dinner immediately."  
With another shrill of excitement, Ana leaves to go back inside. I close my eyes and swallow hard. _You're happily married_. I tell myself, suppressing the outcome of today's wrestling match. When I open my eyes, Ms. Carter's brow is furrowed as she looks down, her mind visibly elsewhere.

Then, I get up from the mat and walk over to her. _Could something have happened if Ana had not walked in?_ I guess I'll never know.  
I extend my hand, offering to help her to her feet. She looks up at me with apologetic eyes, apparently wondering the same thing. Yet, she takes my hand and that earlier spark passes through our touch. I pull her up and thank her for today's lesson.  
She smiles at me warmly and we gather our equipment, making our way inside in silence.


End file.
